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How To Install Stellarium on Linux Mint 18.3

To Install Stellarium on Linux Mint 18.3

As you may know, Stellarium is an open-source planetarium application, providing a realistic and accurate sky image in 3D, as if the users were looking through a telescope. Stellarium is built with several powerful features and this tutorial covers the ground in the same process.

Features

  • an algorithm for DeltaT
  • orbit visualization data for asteroids
  • new option for the InfoString group
  • support for calculating extincted magnitudes of satellites
  • new type of Solar system objects: sednoid

It is so simple to install Stellarium 0.17.0 on Linux Mint, and this tutorial covers the ground on the same process.

Installing Stellarium

Before you begin the installation process, make sure you update your system by making use of the following command.

linuxhelp user # apt-get update
Ign:1 http://packages.linuxmint.com sylvia InRelease                                     
Hit:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease                                  
Hit:3 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease                                                        
Hit:4 http://packages.linuxmint.com sylvia Release                                                               
.
.
Get:14 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe amd64 Packages [589 kB]                          
Get:15 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe i386 Packages [546 kB]                           
Get:16 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/universe Translation-en [238 kB]                          
Fetched 4,220 kB in 9s (448 kB/s)                                                                                
Reading package lists... Done

Once it is done, you need to add the repository by making use of the following command.

linuxhelp user # add-apt-repository ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releases
You are about to add the following PPA:
 This archive contains packages for the officially released, stable versions of Stellarium.
The packages are created by the Stellarium developers team and are not official Ubuntu packages.
.
.
--recv-keys
C68D72A5
gpg: requesting key C68D72A5 from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
gpg: key C68D72A5: public key " Launchpad Stellarium Test Builds"  imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:               imported: 1  (RSA: 1)

And then you need to update your system again.

linuxhelp user # apt-get update
Hit:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
Hit:2 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease                                            
Get:3 http://ppa.launchpad.net/stellarium/stellarium-releases/ubuntu xenial InRelease [17.5 kB]            
Ign:4 http://packages.linuxmint.com sylvia InRelease                                 
.
.
Hit:11 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease          
Hit:12 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease
Hit:13 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease
Fetched 21.1 kB in 5s (3,619 B/s)
Reading package lists... Done

Now, you shall go on with the installation of Stellarium by making use of the following command.

linuxhelp user # apt-get install stellarium
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree      
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libgps22 libqt5multimedia5 libqt5multimediawidgets5 libqt5positioning5 libqt5script5 libqt5serialport5
  stellarium-data
Suggested packages:
  Gpsd
.
.
Setting up libqt5script5:amd64 (5.5.1+dfsg-2build1) ...
Setting up libgps22:amd64 (3.15-2build1) ...
Setting up libqt5multimedia5:amd64 (5.5.1-4ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libqt5multimediawidgets5:amd64 (5.5.1-4ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libqt5positioning5:amd64 (5.5.1-3ubuntu1) ...
Setting up libqt5serialport5:amd64 (5.5.1-2build1) ...
Setting up stellarium-data (0.17.0-1ubuntu1~ppa1~ubuntu16.04.1) ...
Setting up stellarium (0.17.0-1ubuntu1~ppa1~ubuntu16.04.1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu9) ...

Your Stellarium application has been installed and to open it go to Linux Mint menu

And type Stellarium on the menu.

Click on the application icon which appears to open Stellarium.

The Stellarium application is now getting loaded.

Now, you can see that the Stellarium application is open.

With this, the installation of Stellarium on Linux Mint comes to an end.

Tag : Linux Mint
FAQ
Q
Is there any alternative tool for Stellarium?
A
There are tools like Celestia, Sky Map, Space Engine which are similar to Stellarium.
Q
What is Stellarium?
A
Stellarium is a free open source realistic planetarium which shows the sky in 3D. The sky seen through Stellarium seems similar to the sky seen with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. It is being used in planetarium projectors. With appropriate co-ordinates, you can view the realistic sky in 3D.
Q
is this Stellarium available for windows?
A
Yes, Stellarium is available for windows.
Q
Where can I download Stellarium?
A
For downloading Stellarium use the following link http://stellarium.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Download.
Q
What is the stable ppa to be used to install Stellarium?
A
ppa changes according to the releases as of now "add-apt-repository ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releases"